Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40420774›Full record

ArticleNuclear medicine communications2025

Assessment of perfusion on ventilation/perfusion scan after balloon pulmonary angioplasty in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: expert opinion versus guidance by reference chart.

Diederik P Staal, Mitch C J van Thor, Ruth G M Keijsers, Monique M C van Buul, Joyce Peper, Daniel A F van den Heuvel, Sanne Boerman, Johannes J Mager, Martijn C Post

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Nuclear medicine communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Diederik P StaalDepartments of Cardiology.
Mitch C J van ThorDepartments of Cardiology.
Ruth G M KeijsersNuclear Medicine.
Monique M C van BuulNuclear Medicine.
Joyce PeperDepartments of Cardiology.
Daniel A F van den HeuvelRadiology.
Sanne BoermanPulmonary Medicine, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein.
Johannes J MagerPulmonary Medicine, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein.
Martijn C PostDepartments of Cardiology.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveBalloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is frequently used in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH)/chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTED). Nevertheless, noninvasive pulmonary perfusion imaging after BPA is scarce. In this study, change in perfusion on ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scan after BPA was assessed and correlated with clinical outcomes.

methodsRetrospectively, all consecutive patients with CTEPH/CTED patients who completed BPA and received planar V/Q scans baseline and 6 months follow-up were included. Perfusion was evaluated using gestalt interpretation and semiquantitative calculation of the pulmonary vascular obstruction (PVO) index, with obligatory use of the lung segment reference chart. Interobserver variability was assessed for both methods, and the correlation between PVO index and clinical parameters was tested.

resultsThirty-three patients with CTEPH/CTED (mean age: 60.4 ± 14.7 years, 70% female) underwent 127 BPA procedures. Gestalt interpretation showed improved perfusion in 79% of all patients, and PVO index decreased significantly compared with baseline (45 ± 15-35 ± 15%; P  < 0.001). The gestalt method showed a weak level of agreement ( k  = 0.32; P  = 0.06), and the PVO method showed a moderate to strong reliability ( R2  : 0.71, P  < 0.001). The PVO index showed a significant ( P  < 0.001) but weak correlation with log N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance ( R2  : 0.26, 0.24, and 0.18, respectively).

conclusionPerfusion on V/Q scan significantly improved after BPA in patients with CTEPH/CTED. Semiquantitative calculation of PVO was more reliable in comparison to gestalt interpretation, however, clinical parameters showed only a weak correlation with the PVO index.

Indexed as

Angioplasty, BalloonHypertension, PulmonaryPulmonary EmbolismVentilation-Perfusion ScanAgedChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedReference StandardsRetrospective Studiesballoon pulmonary angioplastychronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertensionventilation/perfusion scintigraphy

Identifiers

PMID40420774
PMCPMC12240140

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.